1191. After this a girl with a beautiful face appeared to me, passing quickly toward the right, slightly increasing in speed as she went upwards. She was of the blossoming age, not a child, nor a young girl, but becoming an adult. Her clothing was black. So she hurried happily, in light and into light, slightly upwards, obliquely toward the right.
This girl, with her beautiful, bright face, symbolized [the Word's] very inward parts. But her being dressed in black, yet in good taste, is because outward elements, which are clothing, do not appear to very inward beings.
1191. Afterwards there appeared to me a girl with a beautiful face, advancing quickly towards the right, hastening a little upwards. She was not a little child, nor a young girl, but an adolescent in the first bloom of womanhood; she was dressed in black. She was thus joyously hastening in light and into light, slightly upwards and obliquely towards the right. She signified the more interior things of the Word. She was beautiful and radiant in face, but her dress was black, though becoming, because exterior things which are garments do not appear to the more interior things.
1191. Postea apparuit mihi puella pulchra facie, pergens cito versus dextrum, sursum paulum accelerans, aetate ut in primo flore, non infans, nec juvenis, sed adolescens, veste erat nigra; ea laeta sic festinabat 1
in luce et in lucem, paulo sursum versus dextrum oblique, haec significabat intimiora, quae pulchra et candida facie est, sed veste nigra sed usque decora, quia intimioribus, non apparent exteriora, quae sunt vestes.
Footnotes:
1. The Manuscript has festinabit sed cf. Arcana Coelestia 1872